Trouble in Drama Land for T-ara Member Eunjung

It has been a trying time for the members of T-ara, who have stood amid bullying scandals revolving around the expulsion of former member Hwayoung. And recently, things have gotten worse. Member Eunjung, who has been met with some troubling backlash due to her role in the Hwayoung/T-ara controversy, has now been removed from the SBS drama, Five Fingers, as well as the reality show, We Got Married.

Not long after Hwayoung ‘s contract with Core Contents Media was terminated, the rumor mill spun with accusations of mistreatment of the former T-ara rapper by the group’s other members. While some of the blame fell on Eunjung, she was set to face the controversy even with her roles in Five Fingers as a hopeful concert pianist, and the show she has been a part of since March of 2011, We Got Married. But at the end of July, netizens began drafting petitions for her removal from Five Fingers in light of her involvement in the scandal. Some even went as far as saying “If [Eunjung] is not removed, I will stop watching the program” as well as “If the actress is not good, this cannot become a good drama,” putting Eunjung’s behavior into question.

Despite this, everything was still in motion for her appearances on both shows. On August 16 she attended a press conference for Five Fingers in which she remarked, “It is such an honor to be acting alongside some great actors and actresses in such a major project…I am more determined than I was for any other drama before this, and I will be sure to do my best.” But a few days later, news surfaced of an emergency meeting by the organizers of Five Fingers, and that Eunjung’s year and a half run on We Got Married with cast mate Lee Jang Woo would come to an end. By August 22 (KST), her resignation from the cast of Five Fingers was announced. Yet apparently, no one told Core Contents Media…

Once word broke that SBS would no longer feature Eunjung in Five Fingers, T-ara’s agency quickly responded, as shocked by the news as we were. While SBS had come to a mutual understanding with Eunjung about her resignation, their press release on August 21 was the first time Core Contents Media had heard the news. Up until yesterday, Eunjung was busily rehearsing for the drama, making her sudden resignation all the more shocking.

As a result of SBS’s emergency meeting, Eunjung’s spot on Five Fingers will now be replaced by actress Jin Se Yeon. At the same time, T-ara’s comeback dates, as well as the debut of their single “Sexy Love” are still unknown. Throughout the next few weeks, all we can do is anxiously await whatever happens to Eunjung and the members of T-ara during this difficult time.